But what ca

"who judgeth in the earth." lamities may be endured, what rivers of innocent blood flow, in fettling the dire contention! My heart bleeds to think of my brave, generous countrymen, exposed to the dagger of the affaffin, or to combat in the field, or on the flood, with the executioners of demons in human form, men whofe "tender mer"cies are cruelty." I flee for relief to a

II. Important truth conveyed by the prophet, namely, That the counfels of Heaven blending with the purposes of men, give them a confiftency, a folidity, a direction, an importance not their own. "Wisdom and

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might are his; and He changeth the times "and the feafons:" as it is written by another Prophet, and transcribed from him by the Apostle of the gentiles, "I will destroy "the wisdom of the wife, and will bring to

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nought the understanding of the prudent." One of the feverest threatenings contained in the word of God, and, where it has been executed, the fevereft of punishments, is to leave men to themselves; "My people," fays an offended God, "would not hearken unto

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my voice; and Ifrael would none of me. "So I gave them up unto their own hearts "luft; and they walked in their own coun

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"fels:" and in another place, "Ephraim is "joined to idols, let him alone.” But even in permitting men, whether nationally or individually, to entangle themselves in their own devices, an over-ruling Providence is carrying on plans of wifdom and mercy unto perfection; and the wrath of man" is is made to "praise God," and to work out his righteousness. All history confirms this. The particular event which I fhall produce in proof, is the most interesting and illuftrious that ever visited the world. I give it, without a commentary, in the words of an infpired apoftle. Having quoted this notable prediction from the Pfalms concerning the Meffiah, Why did the heathen rage, and “the people imagine vain things? The kings "of the earth ftood up, and the rulers were

gathered together against the Lord, and * against his Chrift," Peter thus proceeds to make the application: For, of a truth, against thy holy Child Jefus, whom thou haft anointed, both Herod and Pontius Pilate, with the gentiles, and the people of "Ifrael, were gathered together, for to do "whatfoever thy hand, and thy counfel de"termined before to be done." From ignorant, erring, corrupted man, what is to be T expected

expected but confufion, inconfiftency, violence, every evil work? but under the fubduing hand of Omnipotence all is order, harmony and peace. Europe, at this moment, prefents a scene of dreadful agitation; and when, and by what means, the storm is to fubfide into a calm, is a fecret which the Father

hath kept in his own power;" and which "the day fhall declare;" but furely it is not prefumption to exprefs a belief, that the final iffue will undoubtedly be favourable to the great interests of truth, virtue, and religion. France is apparently fevered, and for ever, from the See of Rome, and thereby a confiderable diminution of popifh ufurpation is effected. A feparation not to be afcribed, indeed, to religious illumination, to free enquiry producing conviction; but to impatience of all restraint, but to the frenzy of the day, but to a prevailing character of irreligion. Nevertheless, when the ftorm shall have spent itfelf, and calamity fhall have subdued that aspiring people to ferious reflection; when reafon fhall have refumed its empire, and confcience returned to the exercise of its facred rights, is it not to be hoped, that this eldest son, this chief support of the Roman Catholic Church, may be difpofed of Heaven to tender to Great

Britain

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Britain a fraternity which she can with safety, with wifdom, and with honour, accept—a fraternity in cultivating univerfal peace, and in promoting pure and undefiled religion?" "The Lord reigneth, let the earth rejoice: "let the multitude of ifles be glad thereof.". III. The elevation and depreffion of princes is peculiarly the work of Providence. "He "removeth kings, and fetteth up kings." This is no place for difcuffing the nature, forms, and principles of government. It is fufficient for my present purpose to say, that royalty, variously modified, has been, and is, in almost every age and nation of the earth, the mode of governing mankind; and may therefore be justly confidered as "the or"dinance of God" and every ordinance of God is refpectable. In the rife and fall of fovereigns, the interefts, and the fate of millions are involved: and this it is that stamps them with importance in the eye of found reafon, as of eternal Providence. God is accordingly reprefented in Scripture as both giving and taking away kings in his anger. The prolongation or abridgment of their life. and fovereignty is, according to circumstances, a bleffing or a curfe to the world: and both are the operation of Him who "doth accord

"ing

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"ing to his will in the army of heaven, and 66 among the inhabitants of the earth." But the elevation and downfal even of princes, in the ordinary courfe of events, make but a flight and tranfitory impreffion. "His breath" too "goeth forth; and he returneth to his earth," like other men. "One goeth "and another cometh ;" the wonder is foon over, and the change is hardly felt-fad humiliation to the pride of man! But when God is pleased to create an unusual, or a new thing in the earth; when the exaltation or removal is effected by the inftrumentality of men, with an accumulation of fingular circumftances, we are constrained to attend to the human agency which interpofed, and to the spirit which directed it. Of this nature is the dreadful tragedy fo lately acted in a neighbouring country, and which has iffued in the barbarous and bloody execution of one of the most humane of men, and most gentle and beneficent of princes: an act fo atrocious in itself, and accompanied with aggravations fo horrid, that every one, not lost to humanity, must wonder who could perpetrate it. Confidered as the work of man, this event infpires horror or kindles indignation. The reasons affigned for dooming the devoted vic

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